Daughters
by flipstahhz
Summary: [THREE-SHOT] To Susumu, Taichi is already more than a handful. When he finds out Yuuko is pregnant with baby number two, he's a riot of anxiety. And it's not because they're having another child…but because this baby happens to be a 'she'. / based on a john mayer song [PART I: Daughters]


**Summary:** To Susumu, Taichi is already more than a handful. When he finds out Yuuko is pregnant with baby number two, he's a riot of anxiety. And it's not because they're having another child…but because this baby happens to be a ' _she_ '.

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 _' fathers,_ _be good to your daughters_

 _daughters will love like you do. '_

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john mayer - daughters

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 **PART I;** [ _daughters_ ]

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Susumu prided himself for being able to achieve his goals. He was beyond pleased with himself that they were all going according to plan.

 _One_ , he married the love of his life. _Two,_ he had a stable job. _Three_ , he had bought a reasonably-sized apartment for a decent amount of yen. _Four_ , he had one son.

And Taichi was _more_ than enough.

However, what Susumu _hadn't_ expected was Yuuko to wait up for him on a random a Friday night (because Friday nights were scheduled for drinking with his colleagues after work), wrapped up in her lilac dressing gown, sipping on green tea by the dining table as the long hand on the clock drastically edged to hitting midnight.

"Did I do something wrong to make you stay up late?" Susumu asked, sheepishly planting a kiss on his wife's cheek.

He was sure Yuuko could scent the sake in his breath, but for once she hadn't given him a disapproving look, nor commence a lecture about how alcohol was bad for him.

Observing her odd silence, Susumu took a seat besides his wife and noted how she had begun to smooth out the wrinkles on her skirt.

"I went to a see my gynaecologist appointment today."

"Are you sick?" Susumu frowned.

Yuuko gave a small smile. "I thought I was. I was spotting for a while. I thought my endometriosis had flared up again, but then I started craving pistachio ice-cream last week...so I went to make sure and took some tests-"

 _Pistachio ice-cream?_

Susumu's eyes widened at the thought. He had never known such a flavour ice-cream had existed until Yuuko had forcefully sent him on errands in the middle of the night to hunt down for the particular flavour - and that had been three years ago. Yes, three years ago. It had been when she was pregnant with Taichi…

"We're having another baby?" Susumu concluded, voice shaky.

Yuuko nodded, grinning.

He hadn't anticipated it. Taichi was already a menace, a fur-ball of energy, constantly running about for a budding toddler... and now, the fact that they were going to have _another_ kid made Susumu feel...

"Put me down!" Yuuko cried out in laughter.

Susumu had his arms around his wife's waist, swinging her around the dining room as tears streamed down his face. He repeated, "We're having a baby!"

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Initially, Susumu was beyond excited that kid number two was coming. He was prepared to have another son because he now knew _what_ to do.

All his life, Susumu had been surrounded by males. He was the middle child of three boys. His older brother - Aoki - had taught Susumu how to play baseball and to this day, as grown adults, they'd still set away some time to go spectate baseball matches together. On the other hand, Susumu's youngest sibling had spent a good amount of time as a child, flying toy airplanes. It had started when Susumu had taught Keichiro how to fold paper planes at five, which later led Kei to discover (and beg) their parents to buy him a toy, mechanical airplane. How many hours Susumu had spent with his youngest brother, manoeuvring multiple toy airplanes with a controller up into the air, watching them glide and soar above their heads and into the sky...

It was to nobody's surprise that Kei landed himself a job as a pilot, whilst Aoki had become a baseball commentator on the radio.

Susumu was the only one, out of his siblings, to pursue the typical salary man career. He never had hobbies or passionate interests to chase like his brothers had. Susumu was content with the simple life. Having met his wife at a young age, he had only seen her as his future and prioritised having a family with her as more important than advancing his career.

And when his first son - Taichi - had come along, Susumu's life brightened.

He was a bundle of energy. Brown hair spiked up, wild smile, feet stumbling everywhere, falling everywhere, laughing constantly.

Susumu also had plans for Taichi. He was going to find him a sport he adored, he'd continue the Yagami all-boys ritual of taking Taichi out every weekend to go fishing, he'd teach him how to ride a bike and perhaps how to even climb a tree...

He had everything planned out. Susumu was going to prepare the same list of activities for his second child. He was sure of it - or he _had_ been sure of it.

This had all changed when Susumu had walked out of the clinic.

Like a robot, Susumu had mechanically gotten into the car and began to quietly drive. It was only at the red lights that Yuuko swatted him on the arm.

"You're _still_ not going to say anything?"

Susumu blinked, caught off guard. Trying to register how to reply to her, Yuuko spoke up before he could. "Park the car. You're not driving until we talk."

He glanced at her, eyes burning in protest. In reply, she clicked her tongue at him.

"I'm not putting _our_ baby at risk when you haven't uttered a _single_ word ever since we had stepped out of the clinic!" She ordered, "Now when the lights turn green, I want you to park in front of that church and we're going to talk! Don't make me repeat myself, Susumu!"

Susumu knew he couldn't get out of this one. Yuuko always had the tendency of reading him like a book. She had noted something was wrong with him immediately, and she definitely _wasn't_ going to let him go until she got her answers.

Once Susumu parked in front of the church as she had instructed him to, he found that he still could not find his voice.

He was beyond bewildered. Speechless. He had been stunned to silence when the doctor had announced to them, ' _Congratulations! It's a girl_!'

Yuuko leaned forwards and ensured to capture his gaze. With an eyebrow raised, she said, " _Well_?"

"Are you sure we're ready for baby number two?" Susumu finally spoke up, questioning her.

Yuuko tutted at him. "These past weeks, all you've been ranting about is how excited you are that we're going to have another baby and once the doctor declared to us that our child is going to be a girl you froze. You-"

"I'm scared," Susumu cut her off. "I'm _scared_ , alright?! I don't know what to do! The only females in my life are you and my mother. _How_ can I raise a girl when I don't have any idea how to?"

"Are you serious?" Yuuko scoffed, however her eyes flickered in amusement by her husband's anxiousness. "Is this what it's about?"

Susumu continued, "What if I break her?"

"Now you're being silly. You've been throwing Taichi up and down in the air since he was an infant."

He protested, "Taichi's a boy!"

"And her being a girl makes it any different?" Yuuko retorted back. "Do you think you can break me? I'm a female and I can still beat you at arm-wrestling."

"I told you that my wrist was aching that day! I had written too many reports-"

"Sure, sure," Yuuko brushed off. "But you're missing the point. "

"How so?" Susumu leaned his head on the steering wheel. He was tired of his wife constantly telling him that he was wrong.

"You, no _we_ can do this. You won't be the only one raising her. We'll be doing it together."

"I don't know…"

Susumu wasn't convinced. Yuuko reached out for both of his hands, holding them with her own. Skin touched skin, reassuring, safe.

"I wouldn't have married you if I'd thought you to be a weak person. Didn't you always say to me that we could always depend on each other?" Her voice was frail, yet strong.

He looked at her gentle, determined eyes. Yuuko's almond colour eyes were a shade lighter than Taichi's. Susumu began to wonder what colour eyes his daughter would be. Would it be a deep chocolate brown like her brother's? Or a lighter brown like his wife's? Susumu wished he didn't get his eyes. His eyes were small and squinty...being the ugliest dark brown, that resembled charcoal. His daughter would be their light.

"Hikari."

"What?" Yuuko looked at him, dumbfounded by his short reply that did not make sense.

"Can we call her Hikari?"

"You thought of that name on the spot, didn't you?"

"Well, it's a pretty name. She is going to be beautiful because she _does_ have a handsome father, so it's only matching that we also give her a pretty name."

Yuuko laughed at him and his train of thought. Just one minute ago Susumu had been anxious about having a daughter, and somehow, he had already thought up a name for her.

"I actually had that name on my potential baby list for girls," Yuuko admitted.

He kissed her forehead. Susumu then began to talk about having a girl again and how it isn't in his expertise to handle them. He caught the Yuuko roll her eyes at him. "Am I overreacting?"

"You're _always_ overreacting."

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* * *

"You're overreacting, Mr. Yagami."

"I am _not_ overreacting!" Susumu glared. He pointed a finger at the ballet teacher in absolute disdain. "Who do you think you are for _abusing_ my daughter?"

The teacher held her chin up, posture straight in perfect precision. "I do _not_ abuse my students. This is ballet."

"Well, ballet can go screw itself-"

"Daddy?"

Susumu bit his tongue when he saw his little girl sneak into the office.

Hikari proceeded to tug at his sleeve, eyes curious to why her father's face was red, and the fact that he was huffing out loud. "I've finished changing. Can we go now? After ballet lessons, mama always takes me out to eat cake."

Sure enough, Hikari was out of her ballet gear. Comfortable sneakers, denim jeans and a pale pink skirt with her large grey backpack drooping down her shoulders.

Susumu turned back to the teacher. She had her hands on her hips, glaring back at him, as if baiting him to yell at her in his daughter's presence. She may have won this one, but Susumu still wanted to have the last word.

Out of spite, he threatened the woman, "Don't think I'm done with you."

The teacher snorted, which made his temper bubble up to boiling point and-

"Let's go, Daddy." Hikari grabbed Susumu's larger hand and pulled him out of her teacher's office.

She was wise for her age. It was as if Hikari was aware that a war would ensue, should her father stay longer with her teacher's distance.

They trekked down a series of steps, hand-in-hand. Each second he spent holding his daughter's hand, his foul mood began to cool off. It had been a while since it had been just him and his daughter. Every Saturday for the past five months, Hikari had attended ballet lessons. Yuuko had caught the flu, so it had been his turn to pick up his daughter from the dance studio.

He was unimpressed.

When he had seen Hikari bend down to take off her ballet shoes, he saw the bruises and blisters covering her feet. He had almost lost it in front of the other students when he saw one that one of Hikari's blisters had started oozing, with blood having sept through her right satin ballet shoe.

"It's over there," Hikari told him as soon as they exited the building.

"What is over there... _oh?_ You really want cake, don't you darling?" Susumu could scent the smell of coffee that had drifted from the corner of the quaint cafe.

Sunflowers decorated the small cafe, from the pots in front of the entrance, to the centrepiece found in the middle of each painted white, wooden table.

He let Hikari pick the cake she wanted, and ordered himself a strong latte. They chose a table by the window and Susumu bit back a smile as he watched his daughter demolish the strawberry shortcake, not the least bit surprised that she didn't even bother to offer him a piece. Strawberry shortcake had always been her favourite dessert since she was four. Now she was double the age. It was amazing how quick time flew by…

In a sense, it was like a blessing his wife was sick. Susumu had really missed spending quality time with just Hikari. No Yuuko, no Taichi...it was just him and her.

No matter what, Susumu still couldn't get his mind off his daughter's poor feet. What was the ballet school thinking for injuring her feet? Why did Yuuko agree to this? Why did she ever permit this to happen to their daughter? Perhaps he could persuade Hikari to take on a different sport. Maybe play an instrument instead - something like piano. Yes, piano! That sounded better.

Susumu suggested, "Why don't you spend your Saturdays learning the piano instead, Hikari?"

"But I _like_ ballet," Hikari said.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Susumu replied back. He really wanted her to consider stopping the sport. He didn't like Hikari sustaining any more brutal injuries.

She replied, "Not really. I'm used to it, daddy."

"Why should you get used to being in pain?"

"But Taichi always gets hurt when he plays soccer." Hikari pointed out. "And that doesn't stop you from letting him play soccer…"

"Soccer is _different_." Susumu disagreed.

"Is it?" Hikari questioned him with innocent defiance.

She was just as good as his wife at debating and being too darn stubborn for their own good. Susumu blamed Yuuko for it. He couldn't completely argue with Hikari when it was he who had suggested that Hikari take up ballet when he hadn't wanted her to do soccer as an extracurricular sport.

Later that night, Susumu couldn't stop twisting and turning in bed. Since he kept squirming around on the mattress, sheets bundling and tangling up, Yuuko had leant over him and turned the bedside light on.

Yuuko said, dryly, "Something bothering you, Susumu?"

After all of the years being together, Susumu still felt a chill go down his spine whenever she read him.

"I want Hikari to quit ballet."

"Why?" Yuuko asked him, arms falling around his waist. She murmured into his arm. "Does she want to stop?"

"No."

"Alright then..."

The silence irked Susumu. How could Yuuko just simply accept it? Susumu exploded, "It's _not_ alright! She's getting hurt, Yuuko! Have you _seen_ her feet? I even tried to convince her over cake, but she still wouldn't listen to me."

"Oh honey," Yuuko sighed. "Let Hikari do it if she wants to. If Hikari wants to do ballet, let her do ballet. We can't protect her forever."

"But...but I _want_ to! She's my daughter!" Susumu growled. "I was tempted to throw her over my shoulder, yell at the teacher and forbid her from attending future classes."

"But you didn't."

"Of course I didn't. I _couldn't_ ," Susumu breathed out. "Well, asides from yelling at the teacher-"

" _Susumu!"_ Yuuko groaned. "You're _so_ embarrassing. I'm glad I wasn't there."

"I hate it when you side against me."

"I'm _not_ siding against you," Yuuko remarked. "I'm on Hikari's side, and I trust our daughter. You should too...or maybe not, since she conned you into buying her cake."

"What?" Susumu grumbled. "She told me that you take her to that sunflower cafe after every ballet lesson."

"Did she now?" Yuuko turned around to face him, eyebrow raised.

They both looked at each other and cracked up laughing.

Susumu knew that his daughter was stubborn just like Yuuko, but he hadn't anticipated her to be _also_ cunning. It was a dangerous combination; and it made Susumu fear that he should be more concerned about Hikari growing up, rather than Taichi.

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His son snapped at his daughter, "Change your outfit, Hikari! Your skirt is too short!"

He sided with his son. Susumu was glad that it wasn't only him who disapproved of what his daughter was wearing.

Susumu remembered looking at Hikari through the lens of his camera, picturing her as a three year , smiling adorably at him, dressed in a pink tutu, a sparkly fairy dress with wired wings attached to her tiny back.

She didn't look adorable anymore. Hikari was sixteen; a teenager now. Her body was slowly beginning to form, and her long legs were apparent from the skirt she had selected. Was it even considered a skirt when it was almost above mid-thigh length? Why did the skirt have to be _that_ short? He hated it.

Hikari was transforming into a lady right before Susumu's eyes. All Susumu wanted was to rewind back time to when he'd be pinching his daughter's chubby cheeks, combing her hair while they watched her favourite anime - _Cardcaptor Sakura -_ on the television.

"It looks fine!" Hikari retorted. "Doesn't it, _Okaa-san_?"

"You look gorgeous, my dear," Yuuko complimented. "Turn around. I want to get a good look at you."

As Hikari spun around, Susumu shook his head in objection. "I don't see what's so gorgeous about it? Isn't it a bit too chilly to wear something so... _short_?"

"It's summer, dad," Hikari replied back. "Can you stop picking on me?"

Susumu grumbled, "I'm telling the truth. It's too short."

"Correction. It's _too_ hookery," Taichi snidely added.

Hikari folded her arms. "Don't be a jerk, _onii-san_."

"Taichi!" Yuuko scolded, hitting Taichi on the back of his head. "You're one to talk. Your ex-girlfriend had much _bolder_ outfits than Hikari. She was practically showing her breasts. Now, on the other hand, your sister looks stunning, so leave her alone before I ground you."

"You always give Hikari special treatment…"

Hikari smirked. "Because I'm better than you."

Taichi rolled his eyes as Hikari slid her feet into a pair of bronze heels.

Susumu could see that her hairstyle was different that night. Hikari had made an effort to half tie her hair back and because her hair was tucked behind her ears, it showed off her set of long, dangly rose-gold earrings. They were so long that they almost touched her clavicle _. Too much skin_ , Susumu thought to himself. He then recognised that Hikari had borrowed Yuuko's lipstick, noticing the dark red tint on her lips. Hikari had claimed that she was hanging out with friends that evening, but Susumu began to think against it. She was too dressed up to be merely hanging out with 'friends'.

"Bye dad."

His daughter tiptoed, kissing him on the cheek. Susumu never got the chance to properly say a goodbye or to interrogate her, as he watched Hikari rush out the door. His eyes caught Taichi's gaze, who returned his stare with a frown. It was like they had both jumped to the same conclusion, with Taichi verbalising Susumu's thoughts out loud.

Taichi questioned, " _Where_ is she going?"

To Susumu's astonishment, his wife gave a giggle. Her eyes were twinkling as she placed her hands together. "Hikari's got a date."

" _What?_ " Taichi and Susumu exclaimed in unison.

Again, Susumu was glad that his son sided with him on this matter. They were both looking at each, sharing the same murderous intent of hunting down Hikari's date. The boy was going down. Susumu and his son would see to it.

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There was something about the Takaishi kid that always worried Susumu.

He was his daughter's best friend, he was smart, he was blond, he was a charmer, he was kind, he was mischievous. On top of everything, the Takaishi kid was never intimidated by Susumu or his son. The kid stuck around Hikari through thick and thin, and was always over at the Yagami household that - sometimes - Yuuko would set an extra plate out for him.

Was it possible for a grown man to be jealous of his daughter's best friend? Possibly, yes. Yuuko always teased him for it.

What made it worse was when the Takaishi kid made it official with his daughter.

Heck, it had been almost five years since they had started dating, yet Susumu _still_ couldn't trust him. Taichi had succumbed to the kid (then again, the Takaishi kid had been Taichi's friend prior to dating Hikari), but it would take a millennium for Susumu to give him approval. _Why?_ Because Susumu didn't approve that _anybody_ would be good enough for his daughter.

"You're being impossible. Takeru's a _wonderful_ child," Yuuko had told him countless of times, but Susumu's thoughts have never wavered.

The Takaishi kid was not a kid to be trusted.

One Thursday night, when winter had stirred in and the autumn leaves had been swept by the wind, making the trees barren, the Takaishi kid had decided to knock on their door.

"Hikari's not here," Susumu muttered to him, but opens the door anyway.

There's something missing in the Takaishi kid's stride. He's not goofing around as per usual. Susumu can't help but notice that he's not sporting his usual fashion of a baggy shirt, reversed cap and basketball shorts. In fact, Susumu's taken back by the formal attire. Susumu doesn't remember the last time he's seen the Takaishi kid in a suit, other than that one time he had picked up Hikari to go their mutual friend's wedding.

The Takaishi kid took off his shoes and entered the household. He scratched the back of his head. "I actually wanted to speak to you, Susumu."

After all the time knowing him, Susumu was not accustomed to the way Takaishi kid had addressed him. He's used to the Takaishi kid foolishly and mockingly calling him ' _Yagami-san_!', ' _Kari's dad_!' or ' _Taichi's father_ ', but _never_ by his own name. It felt much too intimate for Susumu's liking.

What was even more peculiar was the fact that the Takaishi kid did not wish to see his daughter. The Takaishi kid wanted to see... _him?_

"Take a seat," Susumu said, throat suddenly feeling parched.

Susumu does not usually do the accommodating, as he often relies on his wife to entertain guests. But the Takaishi kid isn't a guest; he's his daughter's boyfriend. And Yuuko was not there, so what choice did Susumu have?

The Takaishi kid took a seat parallel to from where he was sitting. The notion made Susumu think of the countless of interviews he had performed when hiring new employees for the company. However, the Takaishi kid was not an employee.

What... _who_ was the Takaishi kid to him? And _what_ did he want? _Why_ was he here? And, most importantly, _why_ did the Takaishi kid want to speak to him?

"I...I, Susumu-san...I want to ask your permission to marry Hikari!" The Takaishi kid - _Takeru_ blurted out.

Susumu knew that someday it would happen. He knew that one day a man would ask permission to marry his daughter. He had dreaded the day ever since Hikari had been born. The thought of somebody potentially taking her away from him constantly haunted his nightmares.

And now Takeru was here; and he wasn't all _that_ bad...

"I know you never really liked me that much, but I do really love your daughter," Takeru continued to splutter, since Susumu had not yet answered him.

Susumu studied the young man. Like his own children, he had witnessed the short kid turn gangly, hit puberty and finally grown into his own skin. He watched him countless of times, being by his daughter's side, through good and bad, and even through her painful break-ups with other boys.

Perhaps Susumu always knew that it would be the Takaishi kid - Takeru - that Hikari would pick in the end. He knew, no, he _saw_ the way how Takeru had always looked at her daughter. There was always selflessness in his eyes, that he would give Hikari his whole world...the same way that Susumu could relate to when he thought of his own wife.

Susumu finally broke the ice. "You're better than anybody else."

He had been prepared for this conversation for a while now. The Takaishi kid was the only one who could tolerate Hikari, and treat her well. In contrast to the other boys that his daughter had dated, it was the Takaishi kid who _understood_ her.

Susumu had been wondering what had been taking the Takaishi kid so long to propose to his daughter. After all, he was getting older and Taichi had yet to find somebody to properly date. Susumu wanted to at _least_ meet one of his grandchildren before he died, since he _was_ getting older.

Takeru blinked, still startled by the answer. "So I take that as a 'yes'?"

"Of course it's a darn yes," Susumu chuckled, feeling winded when Takeru threw his arms around the older man.

"Thanks dad."

"About damn time, son."

After all, it had been a long time that Susumu secretly considered the Takaishi kid as his own, third child. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Susumu didn't trust Takeru because he knew that he was the only man that could separate him from his own daughter. However, Susumu _did_ know that Takeru was best and _only_ man he approved of that would make his daughter happy.

And, sometimes, that's all what mattered.

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 **(a/n)**

This is what happens when you play an _untitled_ random CD in the middle of the night, resonate with some lyrics...and then write a story out of these jumbled feelings.

I hope you enjoyed the first piece of this three-shot. :) Have a good weekend!


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